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Trivia: Musical Terms

Subject : trivia
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The principal note of a triad.






2. Passage for the entire ensemble or orchestra without a soloist.






3. A direction to play expressively.






4. The interval between two notes. Two whole tones and one semitone make up the distance between the two notes.






5. A separate section of a larger composition.






6. A curve over notes to indicate that a phrase is to be played legato.






7. Closing section of a movement.






8. A quick 20th century dance written in double time.






9. Music that is easy to listen to and understand.






10. A composition whose style is simple and idyllic; suggestive of rural scenes.






11. A harmonic given off by a note when it is played.






12. A group singing in unison.






13. Direction to performer to play a composition in a brisk - lively - and spirited manner.






14. A style of male singing where by partial use of the vocal chords - the voice is able to reach the pitch of a female.






15. Repetition of a single tone.






16. A loose collection of instrumental compositions.






17. The technique of altering the tone color of a single note or musical line by changing from one instrument to another in the middle of a note or line.






18. Two or three melodic lines played at the same time.






19. A successive transposition and repetition of a phrase at different pitches.






20. Dull - monotonous tone such as a humming or buzzing sound. Also a bass note held under a melody.






21. The first violin in an orchestra.






22. Written for 2 to 10 solo parts featuring one instrument to a part. Each part bears the same importance.






23. A composition written for three to six voices. Beginning with the exposition - each voice enters at different times - creating counterpoint with one another.






24. The movement of chords in succession.






25. System of notes or tones based on and named after the key note.






26. A piece of music written for two vocalists or instrumentalists.






27. A musical composition that has a romantic or dreamy character with nocturnal associations.






28. A portion of the range of the instrument or voice.






29. A sequence of songs - perhaps on a single theme - or with texts by one poet - or having continuos narrative.






30. Two or three melodic lines played at the same time.






31. Music composed such that each note is used the same number of times.






32. A repeated phrase.






33. Curved line connecting notes to be sung or played as a phrase.






34. Movement or passage that concludes the musical composition.






35. Tones used to embellish the principal melodic tone.






36. A whole note is equal to 2 half notes - 4 quarter notes - 8 eighth notes - etc.






37. A glissando or portamento. Also refers to the moving part of a trombone.






38. A short piano piece - often improvisational and intimate in character.






39. The range of an instrumental or a vocal part.






40. The retuning of a stringed instrument in order to play notes below the ordinary range of the instrument or to produce an usual tone color.






41. A short piece originally preceded by a more substantial work - also an orchestral introduction to opera - however not lengthy enough to be considered an overture.






42. The raising and lowering a pitch of an instrument to produce the correct tone of a note.






43. Introduction to an opera or other large musical work.






44. Music that is easy to listen to and understand.






45. Arranging a piece of music for an orchestra. Also - the study of music.






46. The range of an instrumental or a vocal part.






47. A composition written for eight instruments.






48. A group singing in unison.






49. A melodic or - sometimes a harmonic idea presented in a musical form.






50. One of two or more parts in polyphonic music. Voice refers to instrumental parts as well as the singing voice.